Vicki Koen

The Stories of Resilience in a Group of Professional Nurses in South Africa

The objective of this study was to identify resilient characteristics, strengths, and other protective factors in professional nurses by means of validated questionnaires measuring aspects of resilience, as well as written narratives and focus group discussions from resilient nurses. Professional nurses (N = 312) completed validated questionnaires and were identified as resilient (N = 133) based on their scores. From these, 35 resilient professional nurses participated voluntarily and wrote their narratives on how they manage to stay resilient and compassionate in the profession. Thereafter, six focus group interviews were conducted with a group of resilient nurses (N = 32) at public and private facilities. Rich data on resilience in professional nurses were obtained, and consequently resilience as an enabling factor emerged. Resilience in these participants seemed to flow from—and be nurtured by—everyday resources in their lives, such as daily activities, family life, and cultural aspects. Resilience was also the outcome of reciprocal, dynamic, and context-bound interaction between the nurses and their environments, both in the nursing workplace and also in their personal lives.

An exploration of families' psychosocial well-being in a South African context

The aim of this study was to explore and describe aspects that contribute to the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context by analysing data obtained through narratives, drawings and interviews with families. Participant families took part voluntarily in family interviews (N=36), written narratives (N=23) and drawings (N=14). These different methods of data collection provided rich data on family psychosocial well-being in a South African context with culturally diverse families, as well as on those aspects that influence family psychosocial well-being. The findings suggest that communication, mutual support, togetherness as a family and spirituality are the most prominent contributing factors, while financial difficulties and interpersonal conflicts or arguments are the most prominent hindering factors with regard to family psychosocial well-being in this group of participants.

A Model for Psychosocial Well-Being of Families in a South African Context

This study applied the approach of Dickoff, James, and Wiedenbach (1968) to construct a conceptual framework and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context. Findings from previous qualitative research served as the empirical data base for the conceptual framework and model while relevant literature was used as theoretical evidence in the formulation of the conceptual framework and model. The proposed model indicates the interaction and interrelatedness between the family, family strengths and family functioning. The family makes use of family strengths, as well as family functioning to interact. If the interaction is successful it can influence or generate contributing factors that can enhance the psychosocial well-being of families. The models structure and process illustrate the complexity of the process of family psychosocial well-being, the uniqueness of South African families and the potential for growth.

Guidelines with strategies for enhancement of resilience and psycho-social well-being in professional nurses

There are currently no guidelines available for enhancement of resilience in professional nurses. This study aims to provide broad guidelines with specific strategies that may enhance resilience and psycho-social well-being in professional nurses. These guidelines are based findings from previous qualitative research on resilience in professional nurses in the public and private sector in South Africa. We used Kumpfers (1999) theoretical model of resilience to frame the guidelines. Resilience among professional nurses appears to vary in manifestation across settings of practice.

Strategies for work-family balance in a South African context

ABSTRACT Finding and maintaining work–family balance has become an increasingly difficult challenge for South African families due to various factors, including economic, political, social and cultural changes that can impact negatively on family well-being. While pathways and strategies for work–family balance have been identified in other contexts, there is little available research on the topic in a South African context. Considering the knowledge that South African social workers have in this regard as a result of their training, qualifications and role in the South African context, South African social workers were selected as participants. The aim of this study was therefore to explore and describe, from the perspective of a group of South African social workers, strategies for work–family balance that can potentially contribute to family well-being in a South African context. A narrative inquiry research design was implemented. Thirteen female social workers between the ages of 23 and 46 who work in different social work contexts across South Africa were recruited by means of purposive and snowball/network sampling. Data were collected by means of written narratives and analysed by thematic analysis. The findings identify the following strategies: Setting clear boundaries, open communication in work and family domains, strengthening personal and professional support systems, planning, time management and prioritising, self-care, reasonable work environment and continuous personal and family assessment. While the findings share similarities with work–family balance strategies identified in other contexts, this study’s significance lies in the fact that it identifies strategies specifically for the South African context and that it does so from the perspective of South African social workers.

Graphic family sculpting as a visual projective data-collection method: an example of South African female adolescents

ABSTRACT Graphic family sculpting is a drawing technique which is a modified form of family sculpting. Initially developed by Chris Venter, the technique was intended as a projective, therapeutic technique to enable family members to understand and make sense of their emotional experiences of family matters. The aim of this article is to describe graphic family sculpting as a visual projective data-collection technique by illustrating its use in research conducted with a group of African female adolescents regarding their experience of parent–adolescent relationships in a South African context. African adolescent females (n = 30) between the ages of 13 and 18 were sampled through the implementation of purposeful sampling. The sculptings were analyzed with the use of guidelines provided by Venter and were thematically analyzed. The findings illustrate the value of graphic family sculpting as a visual projective data-collection method and recommendations are made for the use of graphic family sculpting in research.

Community caregivers' perspectives of community well-being in a mining community

Mining communities throughout the Southern African Development Community are faced with numerous challenges impacting on their wellbeing. As part of an integrative multidisciplinary research project, this study sought to explore aspects that affect community wellbeing in the informal Bekkersdal mining community in South Africa from the perspective of local community caregivers. An explorative-descriptive qualitative study including 22 mainly female (91%) participants who were purposively sampled was conducted. As part of data collection, participants answered a series of open-ended questions in a questionnaire and kept journals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze that data. The results indicate aspects that either promote (contribute to) or hinder community wellbeing.